Tribute to Burger Stands Week On What's To Eat LA: Molly's Charbroiled Burger

1605 Vine St. (At Selma and Vine)
Hollywood, CA 90028
(323)462-8005
Mon-Fri 7AM-10PM
Sat 9AM-10PM
Sun Closed
CASH ONLY

Well it took me long enough to start this post. The joys of time management have turned into the curses of not enough time to do all that needs to be done. Now, let me preface this by saying that there are tons of "burger places", but few are stands. And, by "stands" I mean little hut like places that scream I ain't going nowhere anytime soon (unless I forget to pay the health inspectors off). These are places that have a food essence history on their grills that pay off with each burger or hot dog that's placed on it. We start off the week with Molly's Charbroiled Grill on Vine that's been there since 1929.

What can set apart one burger stand from another really? Good freaking meat, done well, that packs in loads of flavor. Molly's has probably changed hands more times than I don't know what, but from what older friends of mine have told me, the meat that they use has always remained the same. Thick and juicy and slightly tangy special sauce that really brings the onion on it to life. Not horribly drippy but trust me, that patty is a sponge of beefy goodness. Whatever you do...get it with onions. The onions on their burgers bring the entire thing to life.

Another item of note is their polish sausage (usually made of pork for you who might not know) . Now here's where I may throw some controversy out there. If Carney's were not around, this would be THE polish dog to beat. The dog itself is a testament to how a grill can add so much flavor to what's being cooked on it. The smokiness that gets inside of this dog is a bit of "wow". We're not talking burnt flavor were talking intense smokiness that invades the very crevices of it. It's about a 4 to 5 on the spiciness scale and is super meaty without any elasticity. A wonderful "street" dog that is good just about anytime of day especially when you wash it down with your favorite beer (or rootbeer ;) .

The stand itself is cozy with seating inside and outside the hut area. Though street parking can be hectic in Hollywood especially this close to the Pantages theatre and Hollywood Blvd. in general at least they're pretty fast and cheap to boot. If you've passed by this place and have wondered...wonder no more and go chow down on some goodness.

Refills: No, but discounted
Entree Price Range: Burgers are $2.75 to $4.60 and that killer Polish dog is $3.95

Cactus Taqueria...keeping it very real in Hollywood

950 Vine St.
Hollywood, CA 90038
(323) 464-5865
Hours: You know what? That's a very good question. Lunch time to really late night sounds about right, but I've never seen them closed.

Few words for an amazing place. Cactus Taqueria is this tiny little stand on Vine that has people almost always crowding around it. Now, while I won't say there's no better place in LA for tacos, I will say this is by far one of the finest in Hollywood and the price is most definitely right. The tacos only being a buck, how can you not afford this place anytime of day?

Notice the spit for pork...it's meat an undeniable force to be reckoned with on Vine.

I figure I might as well start with a non-taco item so we can get that through first. Their quesadillas are light and seared just right, this was their veggie version with avocado included. Perfectly packed so it won't turn into a mess and really just a picture of salivating tastiness.

Fish tacos have been high on my list ever since moving to California all those years ago (so few of us are actually from here). While I won't say I crave these (far from it) I will say they have a decent entry into the fish taco forum. Good sized chunks of lightly breaded whitefish with dabs of sauce make this a simple great taco.

Their carnitas are AMAZING. Quite simply some of the best carnitas I've had in LA. It's juicy and has super tiny bits of crispiness on the ends of the pulled pork. So dang good.

The al pastor rocks as well considering it's pork from the same batch. I will say this though, their bbq marinade for the al pastor is slightly different than most in that there's more of an earthiness than a tang to it. Whatever it is, they do it right.

The carne asada is a touchy subject. I've had it when it's been amazing, and sometimes when it's just average. When it's good, the meat is tender and juicy and falls apart in your mouth. When it's not, it's just not all that happening. Typically though, there's almost no fat at all, no matter if it's a good day or not, a definite point on their side.

I wanted to throw this in here for laughable measure. I myself am more of a purist when it comes to tacos (that being that a taco is a tortilla with meat, onion, and cilantro and that's it), but my buddy Pete was joining us and he likes American tacos covered in cheese.

Though I only showed a few of their meats, it's worth a note that their cabeza and chicharrones are KILLER. I'm sure many of you have passed by and thought... why are all those people standing there? Did Pink's open a taco stand? Hardly. They just know how hard it is to get a good taco in Hollywood (not to mention they take credit) and this is their cure.

PS. There's a second location on Beverly and Kingsley

Free refills: Nope it's by the can, and may I add they have Cactus Cooler at Cactus Taqueria.

Entree Price Range: Big menu and all under $5 to be sure with tacos being just a buck.

Rub a dub dub, thanks for the...GRUB

911 N. Seward St.
Hollywood, CA 90038
(323)461-3663
Mon-Fri 11AM-3PM
Sat-Sun 9AM-2PM

Today's entry into the annals of What's To Eat LA is no stranger to awards or honorable mentions of many Los Angeles lists. Grub has the personality of a place that's supposed to be a hidden treasure, except everyone knows about it. Often appearing on many top breakfast and brunch spots, Grub is a place that has come to dominate in those categories. But why is the quaint Hollywood hotspot so well spoken of? It's in the details.

When you arrive you immediately notice the pleasant patio area with a few tables out to you right and some small steps to your left as you enter through the charming vine entranceway. You quickly realize that you've entered someone's bungalow style home that got converted into a restaurant.

One of their always charming staff seat you at a table and you peruse the very breakfast focused menu. The room is vibrant with light and it's all natural as they have a 3 out of four walls lined with windows, they don't have a single light on. You almost tend to forget that you're in Hollywood as this place is the antithesis of hollywood hustle, bustle and power brokers. This is a place to go if you want to get away from the city without leaving town.

When you glance over there menu you notice the disclaimer, if that's what you can call it, about how they take a little bit more time to get your food out cause they're putting extra care into it. At most places I might find this questionable. I mean a preemptive apology can seem like a cop out. But not here! You really do feel like their kitchen is only a couple of people and they're dedicating all their focused energy to bringing a smile to your face when you take that first bite.

On this last trip over there we ordered up two of their signature plates so you could get a visual sampling of how they hook up their customers. We ordered their "Mamacita's Breakfast Burrito" and their "Friggin' Amazin' French Toast". The breakfast burrito came out and my eyes bulged at the size of this thing. It was about two and half of my fists. It was filled with chorizo, scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, roasted potatoes and topped with their salsa and sour cream. What I absolutley love about their burrito is the chorizo in it. I must admit that many times chorizo can be a bit over the top with either how spicy, how earthy or how sweet it can be. Not so with their chorizo; it's light but very meat forward. You can still taste the spices but it's not overkill. Same can be said for the amount of potatoes, there's a lot but not overkill, which can be a bit of letdown when most of your burrito is potatoes. Overall I'd give this thing a 9!

Celeste had the "Friggin' Amazin' French Toast", which after tasting, we realized must have gotten it's name from everyone's reaction to it. You have the option to have your french toast made with either raisin bread or a croissant! A croissant?!?! As if they didn't have enough fat in the first place?!?!? So, of course, we had to try the croissant. Per their style it was dipped in a cinnamon vanilla mix batter, and cooked just till the edges were toasty. Finally, it was served with raspberry butter, pecans, and maple syrup with a side of seasonal fruit. The first bite was the best kind of surprise, you forgot it was a croissant, but tasted every bit of toasty butteriness with the essence of vanilla finishing with a little tang from the raspberry butter. It really was a new creation all together. We have yet to taste anything like it. Let me know how the raisin bread version is if you try it!

We also scored a side of their chicken pesto sausage with onion and pepper. It was a fabulous side that complimented the French Toast perfectly. Not very greasy at all and exploding with smokey flavor. Not to detract but this would be great with some beer on it's own.

In the end you have to realize that this is plain and simply one of THE best breakfast/brunch spots in LA. There's very little to find even remotely bad with this place. The service and food quality is of such a high level you'd be a fool to not at least go in and try it. I've found that the ladies who run this place (Betty Fraser and Denise DeCarlo) have really hit it on the head with the answer to a fabulous a fabulous AM spot...love and attention to details.

Free Drink Refills: No
Entree Price Ranges: $8 to $16

On a side note: I may or may not be updating the site this coming week as I'm heading off to the wilderness of Arizona for a gig. So don't think I died or anything and please if you're in LA, please keep eating out ;)

Groundworks Coffee

1501 N. Cahuenga Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90028 (amongst 6 locations total)
(323) 871-0107
Mon-Fri 7AM-8PM
Sat-Sun 8AM-8PM

I hope all of you had a wonderful Easter. I myself did and had a wonderful weekend all around. Played at some different places and just had a great weekend. Oh and I popped into Groundworks coffee for a debatable (but many agree) iced chai latte after I went to the 101 cafe and headed over to Amoeba Records (which is conveniently located diagonally across the street from Groundworks). They somehow nailed the right proportions and have got it down to a science everytime. I've tried other places and it's too sweet or not sweet enough or the spice is actually bitey, but not here. It's just right...everytime.

They have great coffee as well and very tasty paninis which make for a great snack after walking for hours through Amoeba. A word of mention that also goes for this coffee shop and their coffee. They are fair trade coffee distribtuor which means the coffee you'll be drinking will be coming from people who didn't get worked to the bone for horrible and often illegal wages. Check out Black Gold for more on that. Also, the selection of beans that they have is amazing and can be complex in flavor. If you're a coffee nut, as many today are, know that you WILL reliably find an amazing cup of coffee here. They have multiple locations which can be seen on their site if you aren't close to this one, and the prices are pretty good to boot.

On a side note about seeing movies, I saw Grindhouse this weekend and it was so much fun. Just a fun return to entertainment. Some say that the pacing can be slow, just ignore them. Go expecting to watch everything you want in 2 over the top "B" slash "slasher" slash "car-chaser" slash "exploitation" movies our generation has had the joy to watch in a sticky floored cinema. Here's a tip though, don't drink too much or your bladder will explode by the final scene.

Free Drink Refills: coffee shop...duh
Entree Price Range: blanking right now but it's about $4 for a panini if I remember right...it's cheap enough either way.

Carney's (Yeah I agree with most of LA about their hotdogs)

8351 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90069
(323) 654-8300
Open Everyday 11AM-Midnight

So as I'm writing this I'm thinking... what can I say that every other person hasn't said before me about how wonderful Carney's is? Their hot dogs, particularly the spicy polish dogs, are just the best. The usual fixins are available like relish, mustard, sauerkraut and the such, and that's not surprising. It's the actual dog itself that commands attention. I've heard it many times before that you don't want to crowd a dog cause it's something simple, like a taco for instance. The Zen of hotdogs if you will: simple components should be in harmony with each other and yet be able to stand on its own as something tasty. Their hot dogs are just that. I can't place what's so different about their meat but it sure is addicting. Many Sundays about 1PM or so you can catch me downing two chicagoan Red Eyes with ketchup (spicy polish dogs with mustard, relish and onions), some fries and a large root beer. Now that's not to say that the rest of their food isn't great. Their hamburgers are some of the best you'll find this side of town. While it's no frills methods don't appeal visually, do you really want ballpark food of this sort to be dressed up like it's going to the prom? Of course not.


Let me also say a small blurb. Kids love coming here. Maybe cause you get to eat inside a huge toy (though very real) train box car? I'd imagine anyone reading this has already been here. It's got that kind of reputation. If you haven't, what's taking you so long? Haven't you been feeling left out of the club or do you not want to be part of the incrowd? You know what? We don't need your kind anyways...go back to your chaise lounger in your back yard.

Free Drink Refills: half price refills but hey they have beer to complete the ballpark experience.
Entree Price Range: Average about $3.75 but here's a menu if you want to check.

Yonni's

1714 N. Wilcox
Hollywood, CA 90028
(323) 962-1020
Mon-Fri 9AM-9PM
Sat-Sun 10AM-9PM

Yonni's was a great find for a couple of reasons. One, for the fact that it's so close to Hollywood Blvd where we catch lots of shows, from standup and improv at the IO, to small theatre such as the Paul Gleason theatre, [Inside] the Ford and some other random small theatres that pop up around the area. We just so happened to catch one such play that was lots of fun at [Inside] the Ford called "The Defenders" (basically a wild spoof on The Avengers show from the 60's) that evening. Two, is that for as many places as there are to eat on or close to Hollywood Blvd., most of them are just downright bad for you to the point of being a little scared to eat or too expensive. Yonni's is a safe haven from all of that. So if you're close to the Capitol Building end of Hollywood and you don't want to cripple your colon or are tired of sushi, here's a good (and good for you) place to go.

Looking like your small run of the mill coffee shop but with a little more love in it and a hint of Pari, Yonni's has a lot to offer in great simple flavors. Great coffee and tasty sanwiches are their specialty but they also have personal size pizzas that are awesome and pasta if you want something a little more hearty. Their burgers are somethign special as well as they have a bit more flavor and high quality ingredients to them than just your average everyday burger. Take the turkey burger which has barbeque sauce in it. The burger, the tomato, cheddar cheese, romaine lettuce and this super tasty sauce...some how it would seem that each item was picked to blend in harmony with each other. Top it off with their side salad with vinaigrette and you have a small way to break up the day and to save your stomach. They also have healthy breakfast items that will also help pop those tired eyes right open.



While parking is always an issue on Hollywood Blvd. I would say go here if you're already in the neighborhood or work near there. When I was inside of this place I was just reminded of just how the attention to details really steps up such a common thing as a cafe. Yonni's is a small place in a very big town and in perhaps the largest part of it...hopefully this underdog will stay afloat.

Free Drink Refills: Coffee is .50 for a refill and sadly soda by the can
Entree Price Range:$5 to $7

Date Place:Pink Pepper Thai Restaurant

1638 N. La Brea Ave.
Hollywood, CA 90028
(323) 461-2462
Open Everyday 11AM-11PM

I'm not going to sound over enthusiastic about another place or at least try not to in this post but I must say it...I haven't had a meal this good in a long time. I have never even noticed this place as many times as I've been up and down this little strip of La Brea in fact it's right by one of my other places I've written about (Sultani) and didn't even see it. Pink Pepper Thai is tucked away in the smallest area and shaded by much greenery on the edge of La Brea and Hollywood Blvd area.

It was great finding this place as my wife and I are always one the lookout for great restaurants since we meet up at Reality LA for their wednesday night meeting. So Celeste (the misses) googled that area for restaurants and found this fantastic find. I'm still flabberghasted that I hadn't noticed this place! Okay so onto the food...

We went in and were seated in a booth (which happened to be huge) and were treated very graciously by our hostess and waiter. We decided on a light dinner which turned out to be perfect for us. We started with the steamed dumplings which were flavorful and done with love. Our main which consisted of prawns in a light red curry coconut sauce (not too spicy at all but super flavorful) on top a bed of broccoli (some of the best broccoli as well as it was steamed but still crisp) with sides of white and brown rice. MAN IT WAS SOOOO GOOD! Okay I'm trying not to be too amped over this place but it was THAT good. I can hardly wait to go back there. For the grand finale we shared the Fried Bananas ala mode a dessert that was complex but simple in your mouth. If my mouth would have cried tears of joy and gratitude if it could have...in fact at one point I think I was reaching for reaching for a kleenex subconciously. Seriously I could go back for the dessert alone. Extraordinary!

While not the cheapest place, they have pretty decent prices and it is worth going there if you and someone else don't mind sharing a plate (which is pretty easy to do as the portions are generous). The decor is nouveau Thai hipster vibe and isn't the largest place (so give a call and check for for reservations if need be...especially on the weekend). They have indoor seating as well and a nice patio area if you feel like breathing in the lovely LA smog we've all grown to love and depend on. Fantastic service and fantastic food is what this place is all about. Oh and don't worry about parking they have free 2 hour parking(w/their validation I should add) in the structure right behind the restaurant. Seriously people, try this place...but bring tissues for your mouth.

Free Drink Refills: Yes
Entree Price Range:$8 to $13 (share a plate and grab an appetizer and dessert though cause it's soooo worth it!)

Duke's Coffee Shop

8909 Sunset Blvd.

West Los Angeles, CA 90069

(310) 652-3100

Mon-Fri 7:30AM-8PM

Sat & Sun 8AM-3:30PM

I go to Duke's to bring lots of people to an LA grease spoon. You walk in and there are long table rows like when you were at camp and the staff are just friends. I would say catch breakfast there as it's some of the best in town. It's great also becuase say you want to bring 20 people into their you can all sit together and it's no big issue. I can totally recommend the Idiot's Delight (an omellette with sauteed mushrooms, green peppers, onions, diced ham, fresh spinach, seasoned with curry, blended with 3 scrambled eggs, served with sliced tomatoes and sourdough bread) (named after the original owner's son beleieve it or not)which is something special indeed or how about the Revenge plate (3 scrambled eggs with onions, tomatoes, serranos, green pepper, seasoned with chili pepper, topped with avocado and sour cream) which is a favorite for many. They have something that I've had that's just weird enough to make you think did they actually do that and if they did who thought up that plate. Check it: a peach chutney and walnut omellete. Sounds weird and it is weird but something about makes you curious enough to try it. I did. It's pretty stinking good. I would recommend a bagel with cream cheese on the side just cause the sweetness of it can get to you after awhile so it's nice to bite into something that can balance it out. The food here is good in general and though not the healthiest it is worth it to pop on by. It is located next to not one but 2 venues...one being the Cat Club and right next door to the Cat Club is the world famous Whisky A-Go-Go. I don't include it as venue food though cause Duke's isn't open that late.

Duke's was also a favorite drop in point when actors and rock stars didn't mind being seen by normal people. There walls are covered with so many famous people who dropped and thanked them that it's not even funny. I mean Quentin Tarantino likes this place...come on now.

I wish I had taken more pictures of this place especially from the inside. To be honest I'm writing this edition and I feel like I can't say enough about this place. In all honesty I don't care if you like this place as much as me but I absolutely love this place and would heartbroken if it ever dissappeared. There's a little bit of me in this place. On a Sunday at around noon or so you wouldn't be surprised to see me in there with about 10 other people. It's a restaurant that's a sort of an old soul.

Bottomline is that Duke's is a great place that's been around for a very long time in Hollywood and has good food at decent prices with a great staff that seems to have been there forever (there's one female waitress (only that I know of there) that in my opinion is one of the best waitresses in LA). If you see her tell her I talked about this place and her.

Free Drink Refills: Yes

Entree Price Range: $6 to $9

PS. Sorry about the delay in writing...sometimes I get caught up in life and I forget that the same hand I eat with needs to stop for a moment to write about eating as well.